The present invention relates to an improved wooden racket frame, and more specifically relates to an improvement in construction of a racket frame made up of a plurality of thin wood layers combined with each other along their side surfaces with their grains all running in the longitudinal direction of the racket frame.
In the oval bow section of the racket frame, the above-described grains run in the peripheral direction of the oval bow section.
Especially when the grain of the outermost thin wood layer runs in the peripheral direction of the racket frame, the layer is provided with enlarged Young's modulus and can afford sufficient mechanical strength to the racket frame on the one hand. On the other hand, however, elastic shock waves caused by hitting balls tend to run through the surface section of the racket frame. Presence of the grain running in the peripheral direction of the oval bow section allows easy transmission of such elastic shock waves through the outermost thin wood layer and the shock on the playing face is easily passed onto the player's hand holding the grip section of the racket frame with little damping during the transmission.
Further, a racket frame is provided with a number of through holes for strings in its oval bow and throat sections. When these through holes are to be drilled, cracks tend to develop in areas surrounding the through holes and wooden burrs are generated around the through holes. Even though such cracks do not seriously degrade maneuverability of the cracked frame, they are easily enlarged after long use due to mechanical shocks imposed on the racket frame, thereby seriously lowering aesthetic value of the racket frame.
Painting is usually applied to the surface of a racket frame in order to enhance aesthetic value of the racket frame. Repeated use of the racket frame, however, causes local falling off of paints from the racket frame surface due, for example, to its accidental impingement upon the ground, thereby seriously lowering aesthetic effect of the coloured racket frame.